Insurance and economy of sharing : Turo defends the lack of clarity as they are accused

Option consommateurs has expressed concern at the platform-sharing Turo , in its report, the Economy of sharing. The point of view of Canadians. The latter was defended and said to have made improvements.

The leaders of Turo in Canada came into contact with the of the insurance Journal to express their disapproval at certain points in the report. As a reminder, Option consommateurs was that it was difficult to find information regarding the insurance coverage on certain sites of economy of sharing, including that of Turo.

The group was worried about the lack of clarity on the insurance products available to consumers. The disclosure of information was also a problem for Option consommateurs. «We were told in 2017 that the information related to the insurance was not clear. We’ve made an effort to clarify information from «, expressed the director, Canada to Turo, Cédric Mathieu.

No contacts between Turo and Option consommateurs

Turo has been found to have learned of the existence of the study of Option consumers by means of the text published on this subject by the Journal of insurance. Mr. Mathieu says that nobody in Option consommateurs has joined his company during the investigation or during the drafting of the report.

«The report has no recommendation for us. We have not been contacted. All we said is that our information assurance are not clear «, said Mr. Mathieu.

Option consommateurs has admitted to not having contacted Turo in the framework of the realization of his study, submitted to the Office of consumer Innovation, Science and economic Development Canada in June 2017. It was made public in march 2018.

Methodological choice

The author of the study, and a lawyer at Option consommateurs, Me Annik Bélanger-Krams, has explained the reasons for this choice. «In regard to the platforms of the digital economy is shared, we made the methodological choice of the contact according to their market share, by category. Mobility is shared, so we contacted the company with the largest market share, Uber , «she explained. Me Bélanger-Krams said that their mandate was to discover the perception of consumers and to determine the guidance and the protections that are offered.

Maryse Guénette, supervisor of research and head of the department of research and representation, Option consommateurs, said that the purpose of his organization is not to say each platform what to do. «We’re here to identify the trends of the industry. The economy of sharing, it is still new. It may not be perfect the first time. We are open to work with actors of the industry. «

Me Bélanger-Krams adds that if Turo has made changes since the writing of the report, it is a step in the right direction. «We are very open to what the company has to contact us to discuss the report,» she said.

Consumers are encouraged to be informed

The president of Turo stated that his company will take into consideration the comments of the report of Option consommateurs. He said he was nevertheless satisfied that the agency does not question the quality of the protection of the company.

«We have always prioritized the safety of the consumer. It was launched in Canada once you had an agreement with an insurer, so that all users are protected. We are only in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario for insurance reasons. We have not yet found equivalents safe enough in the other provinces, » says Mr. Mathieu.

Cédric Mathieu invites consumers to call the customer service of Turo or Intact for more information on the cover. «The report has put himself in the shoes of an average consumer who does not search, not to find information, and who has not called nor the customer service of Turo or the customer service Intact. There were several ways to get clear information. There is insurance available, but it is Intact that holds additional information. The role of Turo it is to put in contact the owner of the vehicle and Intact. «

The investigation of Option for consumers, whose methodology consists of a consumer survey, reveals that 76% of respondents say they are satisfied with the platforms of mobility shared as Turo and Uber. Other platforms of the economics of sharing have also been studied in the report, Airbnb and Ripe.

The test of the insurance Journal

The Journal of insurance has joined Intact Insurance to find out if the consumer called to inquire about the product. At the time of closing the present text, the insurer had provided no response. The Journal of insurance has begun the process that a consumer with questions about the product would be from the service to the customer Intact. The agent at the end of the wire indicated that a few people called to inquire about coverage.

The Journal of insurance has tried to turn to get the information related to the insurance coverage Turo. In a first time, the Journal has sought the information related to vehicle owners who displayed their cars for the lease via Turo.

The Journal was able to find the information after you have clicked on the three hyperlinks various. The first is in the terms and conditions of use of the Internet site of Turo and should lead to the site of the insurer, Intact Insurance. However, it is wrong, as noted by Option consommateurs in its report.

The section of the terms of use of Turo is also partially translated into French : many paragraphs are in English. In addition, on the site Intact, it is necessary to click on two other links to access a list of frequently asked questions which referred to the insurance policy offered to owners of vehicles.

More clear to the tenant

During the process of renting a vehicle on the site of Turo, the tenant has more easy access to basic information on the protection that is offered to him, was able to see the Log of the insurance. It is mentioned that there are two levels of protection : standard or superior. It is also possible to decline protection. By contacting Intact for more information on the two levels of protection offered to tenants, the agent Intact, had not been able to respond to the issues of the Journal of the insurance. He directed us to Turo.